The recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday is always an occasion to reflect on the man and his legacy. This year, as in 2008, there as an added significance as the United States’ first African American president, Barack Obama, is again prepping for his inauguration.
The re-election of Obama serves as evidence of changing times, but the senseless killings of black youth, the rise in hate groups and the ongoing economic and educational disparities among racial groups in America serve as evidence that there is much work to be done. That is the essence of Dr. King’s legacy, the belief that we can change our world with love and strength, rising above the din of hatred and hopelessness.
In the spirit of Dr. King’s legacy, here are 10 songs from the 1960s and 1970s that epitomized the hopes and fears of a generation as it fought to assert itself and achieve some semblance of equality and dignity…
– stereo williams
